Take These Simple Steps to Get the Most out of Your Homes Energy Efficiency

Take These Simple Steps to Get the Most out of Your Homes Energy Efficiency

Posted April 20, 2017

Regularly having your HVAC system cleaned and tuned up can elevate its performance and help reduce your costs because an HVAC system that’s properly maintained can use a great deal less energy than one that is not. But what else should you do? We’ve got more simple steps you can take to increase your Rock Hill home’s energy efficiency.

Seal all leaks around your windows and doors. Add caulk or weatherstripping in the spots you notice leaks.

Insulate your walls and attic. You might equate insulation with keeping your house warm during the winter, but it also helps in the summer. When it’s hot outside, heat is continually seeking cooler places—like your home. Be sure you have sufficient insulation to keep the heat from moving through your attic and walls and decreasing your home comfort.

Have your ducts cleaned. Clean ducts make it easier for air to flow through your home, which makes your air conditioner’s job easier.

While you’re at it, make sure your ducts are properly sealed to stop air leaks and insulate them if needed. If the ducts are leaking, you’re losing valuable heated or cooled air. Properly sealing and insulating ducts is even more necessary if they are situated in the attic, a vented crawlspace or any other unconditioned area.

Set your thermostat as high as comfortably possible throughout the summer. To help possibly keep your cooling bill smaller, keep the difference between the indoor and outdoor temperatures as small as possible. According to the Department of Energy, you can save as much as 10% a year on heating and cooling by simply turning your thermostat back 7° to 10°F from its usual setting for 8 hours a day. If you use a ceiling fan in conjunction with your air conditioner, you can raise your thermostat setting by about 4°F without negatively affecting your comfort.

Install a programmable thermostat. Sure, thermostats can be adjusted by hand, but programmable thermostats make managing your home comfort and efficiency much easier. You can automatically regulate your temperature when you’re away from home or when you’re sleeping while avoiding discomfort because your home’s temperature will return to normal before you get home or wake up.

If you opt not to use a programmable thermostat, avoid setting your thermostat at a colder-than-usual setting when you turn on your air conditioner. Your house won’t cool down any faster and will only cost you more money in energy.

Don’t place lamps, TV sets or other heat-generating appliances close to your thermostat. This practice can make your air conditioner to run longer than needed because your thermostat senses heat from these appliances and determines your home needs cooled.

[Use|Utilize|Take advantage of]54] your windows. If it’s cooler at night, turn off your AC and open the windows. Shut the windows and your curtains or blinds in the morning to trap the cooler air and to avoid heat gain through the windows.

Invest in new, energy-efficient equipment. If your HVAC equipment is more than 10 years old or not matching with your home-comfort needs, call US Air Heating and Cooling for an assessment. It may be time to replace it with ENERGY STAR®-qualified equipment that can reduce your annual energy bill by more than $115, according to energystar.gov.

If you’ve got some questions about how to increase your home’s energy efficiency, think it could be time for more energy-efficient equipment or simply want to arrange a regular maintenance appointment, call US Air Heating and Cooling at 803-220-0761 and our experts are ready to help.

With more than 100 years in existence, Lennox has continuously offered industry-leading innovation and technology while preserving strict durability and reliability standards. The professionals at US Air Heating and Cooling help bring those standards to Rock Hill so that you can always have total home comfort. If you’re searching for a new HVAC system or even if you just have a question about what we carry, give us a call at 803-220-0761 or set up an appointment with us online. We’d love to hear from you.